Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

I’d been wanting to watch Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri for some time so was excited it premiered on HBO tonight. After all the attention the movie received around the Oscars, the general premise is likely familiar. Angela Hayes, a teenage girl was raped and murdered, and when several months passed without any arrest in the case, her mother, Mildred, rented three billboards outside their town:

RAPED WHILE DYING

STILL NO ARRESTS?

HOW COME, CHIEF WILLOUGHBY?

The billboards do bring attention to Hayes but also inspire rancor among the townspeople.

I was surprised that the movie was as funny as it was while exploring the cost of rage and resentment. None of the characters were stereotypical or one-dimensional. And the narrative took sime surprising directions.

The movie is worth watching simply for the stellar performances of Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell, and Woody Harrelson. However, it is much more than a showcase for these actors’ prodigious talents. It is a difficult and rewarding story of grief, anger, and redemption.